My Animation Profolio...any feedback is welcome!

[howiejai]

http://student.vfs.com/~3d51howard/Howa ... eel_06.mpg

Software used: XSI Softimage 4.0, Maya 6.5, Adobe Premiere 6.5

Just finish rendering in premiere last night...please feel free to critic my profolio!!

Thankyou very much

Howard

[陳根]

相當不錯，有acting o既character 果然系不同凡響喎。加油。

[白元]

好正丫~~~ 你d 聲系配 定 系搵d 片再整model 架?

[howiejai]

Thankyou uncle陳根 for your compliment, I will work harder to improve my animation.

To 白元, I got my sound files randomly from the internet. Also I didn't do the modelling. The model was provided from http://lichiman.aniguild.com/?s=lowman.

Thankyou guys for taking your time going through my profolio!!!

[Joshua]

What is your workflow?
I mean when you animate a character?
Heavily using F-curve?
Or/and Dopesheet?
Did you try to act the action before animating the character?
Just curious to know how other people to work.

And Good work! Looking forward to see your works!:)

[moc]

呀...點解我覺得幾位角色的動作神態..表達方式...
好像在3d fight club見過.........
不過.....動作都很流暢呀....

[howiejai]

To: Joshua

well...to answer your question first question, i'll break it down to the following:

1. After selecting a desirable sound file, listen to it repeatedly over many times just to get it in your head. Try to think about where the character is coming from and where will it be going.

2. Draw thumbnails or do a mini-storyboard of the piece. Getting references and try to act it out always help. Spend some time in preparation so you will be well planned when you start animating.

3. Here is how I animate in the following: Key main poses, adjust timing through dope-sheet, key pose secondary actions, making sure i have anticipations, follow through, arc, etc.

4.Then I clean up the F-curves ad try to smooth out the animation if needed and making any adjustment to the animation.

That's basically how I work...but sometimes I don't really follow this workflow.....just do which ever you feel comfortable with first.

As for which I use most (F-curves or DopeSheet), for me it depend on which 3D packages. I like to use dopesheet in XSI softimage but for maya I move the keys using the timeline. I hardly use the dopesheet in maya (maybe cause I am still a beginner in maya).

well..I don't know if I have answered your question but I like to discuss and share techniques in animation with you if you like!!

Howard

[howiejai]

To Moc,

Mmm...I don't think I have seen that "3D Fight Club" before, so I am not sure what you are referring to. While making these animation shorts, I usually look at references like movies from Pixar and other student's good work. I just study their motions and acting and try to apply it to my own piece. But thanks for your comment!

Howard

[liarliar]

looks very good ah.
I also like using the lowman.

I've got some problem using lowman, may I have you advice ?

haha ^_^

[howiejai]

to liarliar: sure although I too don't know every functions but I will try my best to discuss it with you =D

[timmy]

http://www.ayaokur.com/Howard_Animation_Reel_06.mpg

Just finish rendering in premiere last night...please feel free to critic my profolio!!

Thankyou very much

Howard

Nice to see some character animation work here.

Your animation was not too bad. there are some timing and weight issue in your work. some animation was a little slow and too many frames inbetween. for example, the hamburger was falling too slow, need reduce inbetween frames in order to get some weight and gravity....

The Frog:
if u can fine tune the Arc of his animation, that will be better. I feel that his mouth shapes were too even... if u can add more variation of his mouth shapes. don't be afraid to go a little extreme or further. it would bring ur lipsync more interesting. sorry that i don't have time to check every fame but seem like a little snappy.....

the last walking cycle:
a little choppy of his foot. i don't know why it maybe the rigging problem or something else that make the foot animation not natural...

anyway. i found out overall animation was too even...need some ease in or out.... u may need to work on the animation curve.
I think you know what i am talking...

good work.

[howiejai]

To Timmy:

Thankyou for your comment. It is exactly what I need to hear. I admit I don't have the guts to push the animation further as sometimes I tend to over-act abit. I guess this is base on experience. I will try to fine tune the F-curves and see how things will turn out. Thanks again for your comments!!!

P.S. Does Guru Studio hires junior animator by any chance?

[timmy]

To Timmy:

Thankyou for your comment. It is exactly what I need to hear. I admit I don't have the guts to push the animation further as sometimes I tend to over-act abit. I guess this is base on experience. I will try to fine tune the F-curves and see how things will turn out. Thanks again for your comments!!!

P.S. Does Guru Studio hires junior animator by any chance?

we just hired 7 senior animators for upcoming proj. for 1 yr contract lately. We sometimes hire junior animators for freelance work.... but they are living in Toronto... we are a small studio so not many opening....
your animation was above average as a first grad in North America. Just need polish your timing and fine tune the acting......timing is very important for an animator..... (according to ur reel, i guess u are looking for animator position?)

you may ask experience animator around you to improve your animation. (for those who can go thru ur animation frame by frame)

[howiejai]

to timmy:

icic...I was planning to look for work in toronto but I dont know much about the companies in tor (I am from Vancouver).
Anyways, I don't know any good animators that can review my demo, and that is why I post my stuff here.

And again, thankyou for your comments!!

[timmy]

to timmy:

icic...I was planning to look for work in toronto but I dont know much about the companies in tor (I am from Vancouver).
Anyways, I don't know any good animators that can review my demo, and that is why I post my stuff here.

And again, thankyou for your comments!!

here are the studios in Toronto.
http://www.wickedsunshine.com/Animation ... udios.html

C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures (All - Maya)
Calibre Digital Pictures (All - Houdini)
DKP (All - Maya)
Elliot Animation (they did Sitting Duck animate TV series - 3dmax)
Nelvana Limited (they do most animate TV series)
**(All) = do everything

Red Rover Animation Studio (CG & 2D animation)
Spin Productions Toronto (CG animation - Maya)
Topix (CG animation - XSI)
Guru Animation Studio (CG character animation - Maya)

Chuck Gammage Animation Studio (2D character animation)
Cuppa Coffee Animation (stop motion)
Head Gear Animation (stop motion)

Axyz (VFX)
Toybox Toronto (VFX - Maya)
Mr. X Visual Effects (VFX - Maya)